Best budget cat food for a Siamese

Cats are obligate carnivores with specific nutritional requirements that many commercial foods — especially supermarket own-brands — don't fully meet. They're often high in cereals and low in the quality animal protein cats actually need. Wet food is also generally much better for hydration, which matters a lot for long-term kidney health, and Siamese are actually one of the breeds with a higher genetic predisposition to kidney issues as they age. So what you're currently feeding is worth revisiting. Tell me about your cat — age, any health issues or dietary quirks — and what you're spending at the moment?

That's a completely fair position and you can definitely do better without spending a lot more. The issue with most supermarket own-brand dry foods is that the first few ingredients are usually cereals — wheat, maize, rice — with meat meal or derivatives making up a small fraction. Cats can't use plant protein efficiently, so they're essentially eating filler. For a 2-year-old Siamese, the bigger concern is that dry-only feeding means she's chronically mildly dehydrated, which quietly stresses the kidneys over years. Can I ask roughly how much you're currently spending per month on her food, and how much she weighs? That'll help me find something genuinely affordable.

£15 a month is actually enough to do this properly. My recommendation is Animonda Carny Adult wet food — it comes in 400g tins and you can pick up a pack of 24 tins on Amazon UK for around £20 to £22, which gives you roughly 6 to 7 weeks of feeding for a 4kg cat at the recommended amount. That works out well within your budget. The reason I like it for your situation: the first ingredient is real meat — typically beef, chicken, or turkey depending on the variety — with no cereals and no added sugar. It's a genuinely decent wet food at a price point that's hard to beat. You'd be switching from a dry kibble that's mostly filler to a high-meat wet food that actually matches what a cat's body is built to process, and she'll be getting proper hydration at the same time. The shift might take a week of gradual mixing in, but most cats take to it quickly.

Some cats do prefer the texture of dry food initially — it's habit as much as anything else. The way to handle it is a gradual transition over 7 to 10 days: start with mostly dry and a small spoonful of the wet mixed in, then shift the ratio slowly each day. By the end she should be fully on the wet food without much protest. If she really does seem to want something to crunch, you could keep a very small amount of a better-quality dry food as a topper or treat, but I wouldn't make it the main diet. Animonda Carny is palatable enough that most cats come round to it fairly quickly once they've tried it a few times.

Good luck with the switch. You're making a meaningful improvement for her without breaking the bank, which is exactly the right call. Keep an eye on her litter box in the first week or so — stools may change slightly during the transition, which is normal. If she's eating well and her coat looks good after a month, you'll know it's working.